New Book Releases

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, African Americans have had a gigantic impact on the Palmetto State. Unfortunately, their stories are often overshadowed. Collected here for the first time, this selection of essays by historian Damon L. Fordham brings these stories to light. Rediscover the tales of Samuel Smalls, the James Island beggar who inspired DuBose Heyward's Porgy, and Denmark Vesey, the architect of the great would-be slave rebellion of 1822. Learn about the blacks who lived and worked at what is now Mepkin Abbey, the Spartanburg woman who took part in a sit-in at the age of eleven and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to Charleston in 1967. These articles are well-researched and provide an enlightening glimpse at the overlooked contributors to South Carolina's past.

From its beginning as a German-speaking frontier settlement to a vibrant modern community of the twenty-first century, Lexington has exemplified the American spirit throughout its generations. This book, made up of articles originally published in the "Lexington Yesterday" column in the Lexington Chronicle and Dispatch News, celebrates all the communities that make up the unique character of Lexington. Follow Claudette Holliday, historian and seventh-generation descendant of one of Lexington's first families, as she tells of Emily Geiger's patriotic ride during the American Revolution, the notorious escapades of Bloody Bill Cunningham, Lexington's murder "trial of the century" and other true tales from the area's rich history.

Not long ago, Beaufort County, South Carolina was a quiet, sparsely populated corner of the Old South where the residents were just as likely to travel by tidal creek as they were so slog down the county's dusty, track-worn roads. Generations came and went like the tidal ebb and flow, and eventually Beaufort County--like much of the Lowcountry--was the site of much development, which brought changes to the face and pace of the area. Life in Beaufort County is different now, but many of the old ways have been kept alive in the county's oral histories--stories that have been passed down over time, preserving the past through spoken word.

Now, author and journalist Fran Marscher has captured these rich, vibrant stories for all to enjoy.

Remembering the Way it Was at Beaufort, Sheldon and the Sea Islands is a collection of these priceless oral histories, which offer a glimpse of simpler times and unspoiled landscapes that cannot be found anywhere else. In their own words, the residents of old Beaufort County reveal a time when turnips and scrawny chickens substituted for legal fees among some of the clients of Grace White, the county's first female attorney; when Henry Chambers' "Aunt Henrietta"--rumored locally to be the richest woman in the world, and an Italian princess to boot--stunned everyone when she brought her magnificent yacht right up the Beaufort River. And much, much more.

Discover many of the unknown oddities of Chucktown - from its people to its foods.

To escape death the slaves hid. So begins ""Insurrection on the Stono,"" the story of a 1739 slave rebellion on the outskirts of the city. Charleston's violent and varied history emerges in the retelling of this dramatic event. In Charleston Curiosities: Stories of the Tragic, Heroic and Bizarre, South Carolina Historical Society's Michael Coker describes several centuries' worth of little-known wonders from the Holy City. Whatever happened to Osceola's head? What was it like to walk the streets of Charleston just after secession was declared? Whether presenting the colonial struggle among European powers for control of Charles Towne or the real story of the birth of she-crab soup, this eclectic and engaging volume will delight seasoned historians, residents and visitors alike.

For a town that once consisted of nothing more than a shed, a pine forest and a name, Florence, South Carolina, boasts a surprisingly rich history. From the ten foot bomb dropped on a Mars Bluff farm by apologetic Air Force pilots to a record-breaking seventeen-inch snowfall, this Pee Dee hub has seen plenty of extraordinary events and famous characters. Here, William Howard Taft enjoyed pine bark stew and Herbert Hoover visited Mikado Millie--a world champion cow known for her prolific milk-making. Longtime journalist Thom Anderson lovingly recalls these hometown tales collected over thirty years of writing columns for the Morning News.

Since he began writing articles for the Dillon Herald in 2003, Carley Wiggins has been telling the stories of Dillon County folks who made a difference but never made the headlines, such as James K. Braboy, the first Native American named Teacher of the Year in South Carolina, or Robert McRae, the area's last taxi driver. Come along with Wiggins as he investigates the ruins of a long-forgotten resort on Reedy Creek and tromps off into the woods in search of the mysterious Bingham Light. Whether or not you remember Dillon's short-lived semipro football team or ate at Hatch's Lunch, Remembering Dillon County is full of true stories from the Pee Dee region that will inspire and entertain you.

The South Carolina Lowcountry is comparable to an epic work of literature, overflowing with palmettos and live oaks, rivers and shorelines and a natural beauty found nowhere else. If one looks deeper into this irreplaceable work of art to see the people and events that make up its diverse and interesting history, multiple volumes abound.
With an eye for history and the unusual, Suzannah Smith Miles leads visitor and local alike through these fascinating volumes. From the Revolution to the Civil War, through hurricanes and earthquakes, Suzannah shows the reader the Lowcountry as only a local can.
Drawing on her extensive knowledge of local history and a lifetime of personal observations, Suzannah has brought to life narratives that are as unique as the region itself. Whether it is okra, oyster roasts and the food of the region, or the Gullah language and historic locales, the reader cannot help but feel immersed in this distinct Southern world.

For more than forty years, Gerhard Spieler has been collecting and preserving documents and artifacts of Beaufort's history. Not content with the life of a private scholar, beginning in the 1970s he began sharing is work and his enthusiasm for Beaufort's rich history in a weekly column in the Beaufort Gazette.

The articles presented here are an excellent introduction to the history of one of the nation's most historic towns, from the Spanish explorers and early settlers to Revolutionary War battles and the area's unique architecture. Residents and visitors alike are sure to enjoy these delightful pages from Beaufort's past.

Discover the contributions notable Black South Carolinians gave to bring encouragement and inspiration to their communities.

Did you know that eighty-eight years before Rosa Parks's historic protest, a courageous black woman in Charleston kept her seat on a segregated streetcar? What about Robert Smalls, who steered a Confederate warship into Union waters, freeing himself and some of his family, and later served in the South Carolina state legislature? In this inspiring collection, historian Damon L. Fordham relates story after story of notable black South Carolinians, many of whose contributions to the state's history have not been brought to light until now. From the letters of black soldiers during the Civil War to the impassioned pleas by students of ""Munro's School"" for their right to an education, these are the voices of protest and dissent, the voices of hope and encouragement and the voices of progress.